Contact, CDC partner to explore data centre development

Contact Energy Limited Level 2 Harbour City Tower, 29 Brandon Street, Wellington 6011 | PO Box 10742, Wellington 6143
P: +64 4 499 4001 | W: contactenergy.co.nz

10 August 2026

Contact partners with CDC to explore data
centre development
Contact Energy (Contact) and CDC Data Centres (CDC) have today announced they are
working together to explore a potential data centre at Stratford, Taranaki.
Contact and CDC will seek resource consent for a 250 MW data centre
1
to be built near the site
of Contact’s Taranaki Combined Cycle gas power plant (TCC), retired earlier this year having
reached end-of-life. It would be supported by co-located battery storage development.
“It is our intention that electricity for the proposed facility would be supplied under long-term
contract, supported by new generation from Contact’s 11 TWh pipeline of geothermal, wind and
solar development options,” said Contact CEO Mike Fuge.
Large-scale, long-term, contracted demand underpins investment in new renewable generation
and batteries, rather than relying solely on existing supply.
“Our strategy is to lead New Zealand’s renewable energy future. And, as part of that, we are
playing our part in the economic regeneration of the regions,” said Mr Fuge.
“We believe Stratford shapes as an ideal location to explore a digital hub powered by renewable
energy from where the local Taranaki economy can thrive, and the wider energy system and
New Zealand can benefit.”
Peak construction jobs on the data centre are expected to be comparable to the level seen at
Contact’s Tauhara geothermal power station, which provided more than 600 jobs in Taupo at its
peak. Once operational, around four times as many skilled workers are expected to be on site
compared to the former TCC.
As part of the project design process, Contact and CDC are assessing a range of technologies to
manage and smooth demand, including solutions that can respond to rapid load changes. The
aim is to strengthen system reliability during peak demand and dry-year conditions.
Stratford provides an attractive option for data centre development, with 500 MW of grid-scale
batteries already consented and an existing grid connection.
2
Diverse high-capacity fibre
connection is available, both terrestrial and subsea, providing connection to Auckland, the
landing point for New Zealand’s international fibre cables.
Contact’s joint venture with Lightsource bp is also progressing an option for a 150 MWac solar
farm with integrated battery storage near the site.
3

CDC Founder and CEO Greg Boorer said his company welcomed the opportunity to work with
Contact to assess a potential data centre development at Stratford.
“At a time when digital infrastructure is becoming increasingly important to national resilience and
economic productivity, we see value in a project shaped by New Zealand’s energy capability,
significant local ownership and long-term regional participation,” said Mr Boorer.

1
IT / compute load of 250MW. Approximately 350MW total load including ancillary load at peak times (subject to final design).
2
Minor substation works required.
3
The solar development option remains subject to resource consent, financing and final investment decisions.

Contact Energy Ltd
2


CDC data centres are designed to minimise or eliminate reliance on local water resources. Its
fully closed-loop cooling technology recirculates the same water through the facility, rather than
drawing continuously from the water network like some overseas data centres. This keeps
operational water use exceptionally low. For Stratford, CDC will explore a pathway to a net zero-
water-use cooling solution. This will include rainwater collection and reuse in the bespoke
design. Where practical, captured water could also support landscaping, biodiversity and
community water initiatives.
CDC’s New Zealand data centres are Toitū Net Carbon Zero certified, and Toitū Enviromark
Diamond certified, recently achieving both certifications for the third consecutive year. Diamond
is the highest level within the Toitū Enviromark programme and recognises organisations that
have embedded environmental management into the way they operate, make decisions and
drive continual improvement.
“Our focus at the moment is on working systematically through the technical, consenting,
commercial and stakeholder work required to assess this opportunity. The project would move
forward only if it meets all required criteria and CDC’s high standards for secure, resilient and
responsible digital infrastructure,” said Mr Boorer.
The site would bolster CDC data centres’ support for customers that deliver essential digital
services across government, research, education, disaster recovery, cloud, enterprise and
critical infrastructure sectors, where secure, resilient and always-available technology is required.
At this stage, activities are limited to consenting, site and infrastructure design, customer
engagement and development planning. Neither party has committed to construct the facility.
Development would be subject to securing anchor tenants, obtaining the necessary approvals
and securing project finance.
4

As planning progresses, Contact and CDC will engage proactively with key stakeholders
including on project design, infrastructure requirements, environmental considerations and
regional benefits. The operation of Contact’s existing 200MW generation assets in Stratford is
not impacted by this proposal.


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Investor enquiries Media enquiries
Shelley Hollingsworth Louise Wright
Head of Strategy & Investor Relations Head of Communications & Reputation
+64 27 227 2429 +64 21 840 313
investor.centre@contactenergy.co.nz media@contactenergy.co.nz



4
While still at an early stage, one of a number of pathways that is being progressed for the construction of the proposed data
centre would involve an equity investment from Contact alongside CDC and project financing. This would be structured to
preserve Contact’s balance sheet strength.

Contact Energy Ltd
3

About Contact Energy
Contact Energy is leading New Zealand’s renewable energy future, operating 37 sites nationwide
across geothermal, hydro, battery and thermal assets, and supporting more than 690,000
customer connections across electricity, gas, broadband and mobile.
Contact is building renewable energy infrastructure at pace, committing more than $2.4 billion
over the past five years, including three new geothermal power stations, two grid-scale batteries,
and two solar farms. Since 2020, Contact has grown from a $6 billion to a $12 billion company,
supporting jobs and businesses in almost every region of New Zealand.

About CDC Data Centres

CDC is the largest developer, owner and operator of highly secure, sovereign and
interconnected data centre infrastructure across Australia and New Zealand. Its shareholders
include Infratil, as well as government organisations such as the Future Fund (Australia's
sovereign wealth fund) and Commonwealth Super Corporation. CDC provides the critical
infrastructure that underpins government services, national critical infrastructure and the digital
economy, where security, availability and resilience are fundamental requirements.

CDC’s operations are differentiated by its fully integrated model, with in-house capabilities across
site selection, design, construction and operations. This end-to-end approach, developed over
more than 19 years, enables consistent delivery of highly secure, large-scale facilities and
supports long-term operational performance across the asset lifecycle, reducing execution risk
and supporting reliable delivery.

CDC integrates sustainability considerations into the design, construction and operation of its
facilities. The company always looks to match electricity consumption with renewable energy,
employs advanced closed-loop cooling technology that significantly minimises reliance on water
resources, and continues to invest in efficient infrastructure that supports long-term resilience
and performance. CDC also works closely with customers, industry partners, governments and
local communities throughout the development and operational lifecycle of its facilities, with a
focus on transparency, stakeholder engagement and delivering positive economic and
community outcomes in the regions where it operates.